Aberlardo "A.J." Antuna said he had two reasons why he chose to open a fourth Amigos Mexican Cocina restaurant in the St. Elmo area.
"We noticed that the area was losing some of its restaurants (including Mojo Burrito,) and people there asked us to come," he said following the Thursday meeting of the Chattanooga Beer & Wrecker Board. The board approved his application to sell beer and Antuna told the board he planned to get his liquor license soon, "because while we are a family-style restaurant, the community demanded we have beer and alcohol."
The full-service Mexican restaurant also has units in Red Bank at 1906 Dayton Blvd, in Island Cove at 6830 Flamingo Lane in Harrison, and at the Peerless Mill at 501 McFarland Ave in Rossville, Georgia.
Antuna said though he was formerly affiliated with the local Amigo Mexican Restaurant chain owned by his uncle, his Amigos Mexican Cocina restaurants are a separate business. Antuna moved to Chattanooga in 1993 from Orange County, California, in order to work with his uncle in establishing the Amigo chain.
Antuna said the St. Elmo location had a soft opening on Monday. It is located inside a former veterinary clinic and has seating for 120 people inside the 6,000-square-foot space.
"It will have the identical menu as the other four Amigos," he said.
Hunter Phillips was formerly an assistant manager at the Red Bank location and is now the general manager of the new location.
It will employ between 10 and 15 people, he said.
The restaurants are open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday and from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com